AUSTIN, Texas – Following much speculation about the confirmation of Don McLeroy to the State Board of Education (SBOE) Chair, the Texas Senate voted today by a vote of 19-11 to deny him a second term as Chairman. McLeroy needed 21 votes, 2/3 of the 31 Senate members, to be confirmed.
All 19 Republicans voted FOR McLeroy, 11 Democrats voted AGAINST McLeroy, and Democratic Senator, Eddie Lucio, Jr., did not cast a vote.
Gov. Perry reappointed McLeroy in February, and was passed by the Senate Nominations Committee on May 20. Critics of McLeroy have for months focused on his religious beliefs, even highlighting statements he made at his church. Some Senators pointed to national stories that were critical of him as reason for opposition. The vote fell along party lines.
After the vote, Free Market Foundation (FMF) Director of Legislative Affairs and Attorney Jonathan Saenz released the following statement:
“Some Senators have made it clear that the N.Y. Times, religious beliefs, and party affiliation are in control of deciding who serves as SBOE chairman. The message has been sent — if you have sincere religious beliefs, you need not apply to be chair of the State Board of Education.”
FMF President Kelly Shackelford said this:
“I find the comments about McLeroy’s religion and the Senate vote to be very disturbing. This is an embarrassment and a black mark on the Senate. We expect the Governor to nominate an SBOE Chair who is just as conservative as McLeroy, and therefore, representative of the people of Texas.”
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Its evidence that many citizens supported his confirmation through the emails and blogs I received. He was definitely opposed because of his Faith. Thank you FMF for your hardwork! Lets continue to press on together!
What’s wrong with a religious test for McLeroy??? He imposed his religious test on the science standards under the false premise of “insufficiency of the fossil record, common descent” when we all know there are no “insufficiency” of anything in evolution. This was payback!!!
Your overtly political support of McLeroy, his misrepresentation of evolutionary biology, science, and the recommendations of hard-working, honest, educators and scientists, is contrary to every free-market principle known, including reason and integrity.
You should be ashamed of yourselves.
JDG, your comments come as no surprise to me or anyone else that believes in America and the liberty rights we enjoy under the Constitution. We have known all along that your people wanted to indict McLeroy for his religious beliefs. All this he done is allow yours and others’ hate, discrimination, and intolerance to be revealed. You have helped awaken a sleeping giant and helped draw national attention to an enormous issue.
Article VI, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution (No Religious Test for office): “The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”
B.J.-what a shame that you are willing to disregard the U.S. Constitution and the will of the voters who elected McLeroy and the will of the numerous hard-working and honest, scientists, educators, teachers, parents, and citizens, and that marched forward one after another to tesitfy in favor of McLeroy’s and 12 other SBOE’s members position on Science. That’s right, you probably weren’t aware that 12 other SBOE members voted right along with McLeroy on the Science & Censorship issue. What a shame that you support censorship in the classroom and the highjacking of Texas Education by a radical, extreme liberal scientist, Eugenie Scott from California. Yes, she’s the one that the TFN and the small opposition relied on to try to drastically change Science in Texas. Thank God you and the others didn’t succeed.
The principle you should consider above all is truth.
700+ Scientist across the world a questioning Darwin-did you know that? Click here for details. http://www.dissentfromdarwin.org/
U.S. Constitution, Article VI, Section 3: The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.
jonathansaenz,
Fortunately, I am far more for the Free market than you can ever be. You are destroying the very hard work I an others have done in defense of Liberty, the Free market and Individual Rights.
You are NOT defending Individual rights. You are NOT defending the Free Market. You are nothing more than a political hack for the Religious Right who is destroying the very concepts you profess to be for.
How dare you.
You will not accept the FACT of evolution for ONE reason and ONE reason only: your religious beliefs. You know FULL well that the FACT of evolutionary biology is as solid as the FACT of the theory of gravity, but you deliberately promote – just as the abhorrent and blatantly dishonest McLeroy does.
Fortunately, the vast majority of Republicans and Conservatives in this country see right through you and your dishonest religious agenda and we will continue to make sure that all of you who FIGHT the truth to protect your religious agenda are fully exposed for the what you really are.
Remember one thing above all: this nation will continue to prevent the introduction of religious beliefs that you and McLeroy dishonestly try to introduce into the science classroom.
And the sooner you remove “Free Market” from your name the better for those of us who know what the free market really is and what this country stands for.
B.J.-Arrogant bullies like you is what keeps myself and our organization even more focused on our mission. Thanks for the continued inspiration and reminder that we must not allow people to continue to mislead and distort truth. By the way, over 80% of Dems and Reps believe that the “strengths and weaknesses” of evolution should be taught in the classroom. Click here for the Zogby poll results. http://www.freemarket.org/Img/2009%20Zogby%20Poll%20Findings%20Report.pdf
You are on the outside looking in, especially here in Texas and that’s why your the small amount of people you speak for lost at the Bible Curriculum debate and the Science & Censorship debate at the SBOE, with the help of some your Democrat SBOE members. It doesn’t matter how many times you deny this and make statements to the contrary, the truth remains.
jonathansaenz Says:
June 1, 2009 at 11:49 AM
“By the way, over 80% of Dems and Reps believe that the “strengths and weaknesses” of evolution should be taught in the classroom. Click here for the Zogby poll results.
…. since when where Dems and Reps qualified” scientists??????
jonathansaenz Says:
“700+ Scientist across the world a questioning Darwin-did you know that? Click here for details. http://www.dissentfromdarwin.org/”
Tell me, how many of those 700 scientists are trained in evolutionary biology to even comment on its merit??? Answer that!!!
Since you have plenty of time to post multiple comments, i am sure you have time to go through the list of scientists on this list from Harvard, Yale, Duke, and just about every major Texas-based university, and determine for yourself which ones have evolutionary biology training.